Wildlifeof Bhutan
Mandarin Duck
Ducks, Geese & Grebes
Photo: (c) Blake Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Aix galericulata
Basic stats
Habitat
Dense, shrubby forested edges of rivers and lakes; breeds in valleys up to 1,500m
Range
East and Northeast Asia
Clutch size
9–12 eggs
Size
41–49cm
Wingspan
65–75cm
The mandarin duck is a perching duck native to East and Northeast Asia, 41 to 49cm long with a wingspan of 65 to 75cm. The adult male is elaborately coloured, with a small red bill, a large white crescent above the eye, a reddish face and whiskers, a purple breast with two vertical white bars, ruddy flanks and two orange sail feathers on the back. The female has subdued greyish-brown plumage and a slender white eye-ring (Wikipedia, general species account).
It nests in tree cavities close to water in spring, with a single clutch of nine to twelve eggs laid in April or May; the male may defend the female but does not incubate. Asian populations are migratory, overwintering in lowland eastern China and southern Japan. The sources opened do not place it in Bhutan, so its inclusion is flagged for checking.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Mandarin Duck live in?
- Dense, shrubby forested edges of rivers and lakes; breeds in valleys up to 1,500m
- Where is the Mandarin Duck found?
- East and Northeast Asia
- How many eggs does the Mandarin Duck lay?
- 9–12 eggs
- How big is the Mandarin Duck?
- 41–49cm
- What is the wingspan of the Mandarin Duck?
- 65–75cm